Toy or model vehicles



Dec. 9, 1969 F. N. RIX ETAL 3,482,351

TOY 0R MODEL VEHICLES Filed March 6, 1968 '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 9. 1969 F. N. m Em. 3,482,351

TOY OR MODEL VEHICLES Filed March 6, 1968' 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG3 Dec; 9, 1969 F, N, Rm E TAL I W 3,482,351

TOY OR MODEL VEHICLES Filed March 6, 1968 v Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 9, 1969 F. N. mx 'rm.

Filed March 6, 1968 Dec. 9, 1969 Filed March 6, 1968 F. N. mx ETAL 3,482,351

TOY 0R MODEL VEHICLES '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 k w FIGS 7% i l l fi 4 5/ 4 g.

/4 [4 l 1 E i \I ;-/5 Z 9 \l I I 5 v I Dec. 9, 1969 F. N. RIX ETAL TOY 0R MODEL VEHICLES 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed March 6, 1968 Dec. 9, 1969 F. N. RlX ETAL I 3,432,351

I TOY 0R MODEL VEHICLES Filed March 6, 1968 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 FIG] I United States Patent O 3,482,351 TOY R MODEL VEHICLES Frederick Noel Rix, Woodford Green, and Cecil Kenneth Wetton, London, England, assignors to Lesney Products & Co., Limited, London, England, a British company Filed Mar. 6, 1968, Ser. No. 711,111 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Mar. 14, 1967, 12,008/6 7 Int. Cl. A63h 11/10 US. Cl. 46-201 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toy vehicle in which a transverse axle supporting the steerable wheels of the vehicle is retained between a pair of longitudinally spaced pins for angular displacement about an axis normal to the chassis member. The axle is engaged by a resilient member which yieldably resists angular displacement of the axle and acts to return the axle to its original position when the pressure on the axle is released.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to toy or model vehicles all of which, for the sake of brevity, will hereinafter be referred to as toy vehicles.

Various forms of steeling mechanism are known for toyv vehicles but most of them considerably increase the cost of the toys to which they are applied. Accuracy of detail in steering mechanisms and the like is not generally of importance to young children and, accordingly, an object of the invention is the provision of a toy vehicle having a self-centering steering mechanism of. simple but eifective construction which does not add greatly to the cost of the toy.

According to the invention, there is provided a toy vehicle having a chassis or base and a steerable transverse axle passing between two substantially vertical pins spaced apart from one another longitudinally of said chassis or base, at least one resilient member being positioned adjacent said axle to tend to maintain said axle substantially perpendicular to the length of the chassis or base, the member being resiliently deflectable upon the application of manual pressure to the toy to allow the axle to pivot about a substantially vertical axis disposed between said pins and enable the toy vehicle to follow a non-straight path.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a sectional side elevation of a front portion of a toy car in accordance with the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a plan view corresponding to FIGURE 1 but omitting the body of the car,

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view corresponding to FIGURES 1 and 2 but omitting certain parts that can be seen in the preceding figures,

FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 correspond to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 but illustrate an alternative form of toy car in accordance with the invention,

FIGURES 7, 8 and 9 again correspond to FIGURES l, 2 and 3 but show a third embodiment of a toy car in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 10 is a vertical longitudinal section through a further embodiment of a toy car in accordance with the invention, and

FIGURE 11 is a plan view corresponding to FIGURE 10 but omitting the body of the car.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to FIGURES 1 to 3 of the drawings, the

toy car of which only parts are illustrated is of relatively small scale having a length of approximately 2 /2" (6.35 ems.) and a width of approximately 1" (2.54 ems). The toy car has a body 1 simulating the appearance of a well known make of full-size car but the body 1 will not be further described since its construction is not relevant to the present invention. The toy car also has a chassis or base 2 which is formed from zinc alloy or other metal by die casting. The body 1 is preferably formed from the same material and in the same way. Towards its leading end, the chassis or base 2 is formed With a transverse depressed portion or well 3 at the center of which two pins 4 project upwardly, the pins 4 being integral with the chassis or base 2. Each pin 4 has a diameter of about (1.6 mms.) and a height of about A5" (3.2 mms.), the two pins being spaced apart from one another longitudinally of the toy, midway across the well 3, by a distance of about (2 mms.).

A front axle 5 is entered between the two pins 4 so as to extend transverse to the length of the chassis or base 2 and perpendicular to that length when disposed for straight-line travel of the toy. The axle 5 has ground wheels 6 rotatably mounted at its opposite ends. As can be seen in the drawings, the axle 5 is also entered through two slots 7 formed in opposite upright side walls of the chassis or base 2, the slots having a height which is .005 to .010" (0.125 mm. to 0.25 mm.) greater than the diameter of the axle 5 which latter is about (1.6 mms.). It will thus be apparent that the two pins 4 are spaced apart from one another by a distance which is approximately ,6 (0.4 mm.) greater than the diameter of the axle 5 which is passed between them. The lower extremities of the slots 7 are afforded by the floor of the well 3 while their upper extremities are afforded by curved wheel guides 8 integral with the opposite upright side walls of the chassis or base 2. The purpose of the curved wheel guides 8 will be evident from FIG- URE 2 of the drawings from which it can be seen that their convex edges tend to bear against the inner sides of the ground wheels 6 thus maintaining those ground wheels at their correct positions axially of the axle 5.

The toy car includes a strip-shaped synthetic plastic member 9 which may be formed from a material such as high G. P. polystyrene. The leading end of the member 9 takes the form of an arch 10 whose lower side is located immediately above the upper free ends of the two pins 4. As can be seen best in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, the foremost part of the arch 10 integrally includes two symmetrically oppositely directed resilient members in the form of L-shaped (in plan view) arms 11 bear against the leading side of the axle 5 at points the arrangement of the arms 11 and axle 5 is such that, when said axle 5 extends perpendicular to the length of the chassis or base 2, both the free ends of the two arms 11 bear against the leading side of the axle 5 at points spaced towards the two wheels 6 from the two pins 4.

The toy car which has been described may be steered by pressing down manually on that side of the car corresponding to the required direction of turn while simultaneously exerting a lateral pressure on the car in the direction corresponding to the required direction of turn. Such action will cause the axle 5 to pivot about a substantially vertical axis disposed between the two pins 4 against the resilient opposition of one or other of the two arms 11 which arm will be resiliently deflected forwardly of the car by said axle. The arrangement is such that the axle 5 can swing between either of twoopposite extreme wardly under the conditions which have just been described.

As soon as the manual pressure is Withdrawn, that one of the two resilient arms 11 that was resiliently deflected will tend to return to its original undeflected configuration as shown in the drawings and will push the axle 5 back to the setting in which it extends perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the length of the chassis or base 2. The toy car will then steer a substantially straight path upon being pushed forwardly or rearwardly.

The toy car which is illustrated in FIGURES 4 t 6 of the drawings is basically similar to the car which has already been described and, accordingly, the same reference numerals will be used as in FIGURES l to 3 to denote identical or like parts.

In this embodiment, the strip-shaped synthetic plastic member 9 serves the additional function of providing a resilient suspension for the front axle of the toy car. The arch includes two small platforms 12 located at its opposite sides, said platforms 12 being connected to the upper substantially horizontal part of the arch 10 by corresponding inclined ramps 13. In this case, the synthetic plastic member 9 has a part of its length rigidly secured to the chassis or base 2 by one or more rivets or dowels 14 whose uppermost ends are peened over during the assembly of the toy. The slots 7 have a greater vertical extent in this embodiment than in the embodiment of FIGURES l to 3 of the drawings. The extent should be equal to at least the diameter of the axle 5 plus the perpendicular distance between the level of the platforms 12 and the level of the upper substantially horizontal portion of the arch 10 plus, preferably, a clearance of 0.005" to 0.010 (0.125 mm. to 0.25 mm.) to allow freedom of movement of the axle under conditions in which no manual pressure is applied to the toy.

In this case, the arched part 10 of the strip 9 and the parts which it carries tend to retain the position shown in the various drawings. However, when the axle 5 extends perpendicular to the length of the chassis or base 2, said axle 5 can be caused to move upwardly in the two slots 7 against the resilient opposition of the arched portion 10 of the strip 9 which will be resiliently deflected upwardly in a similar manner. In order to steer the toy car, it is only necessary to exert manual pressure downwardly at the side of the car corresponding to the required direction of turn. This pressure makes the corresponding end of the axle 5 ride up the lower side of the ramp 13 which is also at that side of the toy thus pivoting the axle 5 about the substantially vertical axis disposed between the pins 4. The arm 11 at the opposite side of the car will be resiliently deflected forwardly by the axle 5 during such action and will return the axle 5 to the position in which it extends substantially perpendicular to the length of the chassis or base 2 as soon as the manual pressure is withdrawn. Thus, the resilient members afforded by the arms 11 tend to maintain the axle 5 in a position in which the toy car will steer a straight course but either one of them can be resiliently deflected to enable the toy car to follow a non-straight path when required.

The embodiment of FIGURES 7 to 9 of the drawings is once again similar to the embodiments that have already been described, the toy car in question being provided with a resilient suspension in the form of a profiled pad located at the leading end of the strip 9. The pad 15, is shaped so that it will bear against the axle 5 at opposite sides of the two pins 4 and the arrangement is otherwise similar to that described with reference to FIGURES 4 to 6 of the drawings inasmuch as the axle 5 can be deflected upwardly to upper limits afforded by the uppermost edges of the slots 7 against the resilient opposition of the resilient pad 15 and strip-shaped member 9 of which it forms a part.

In this case, the resilient members which tend to restore the axle 5 to its normal straight-line steering position are not integral with the strip-shaped member 9 but take the form of two resilient arms 16 projecting in shallow V-shaped relationship from a central block 17 which is separate from the strip 9 and which is secured to the floor of the well 3 immediately in front of the foremost of the two pins 4. The particular way in which the block 17 is secured in position is not important and any convenient known way of doing this may be employed. It is preferred that the block 17 and the two arms 16 should be formed integrally from a synthetic plastic material such as G.P. polystyrene and it will be seen from the drawings that, when steering the toy car, the arms 16 act in a simiular way to the arms 11 that have already been described in tending to maintain the axle S in the position which can be seen best in FIGURE 8 of the drawings in which it extends substantially perpendicular to the length of the chassis or base 2.

In the basically similar embodiment of FIGURES 10 and 11 of the drawings, the strip 9 is not arched at its leading end but is formed with a hole 18 through which the pin 4 to the rear of the front axle 5 is entered. The previously described pin 4 located in front of the axle 5 is replaced by a pin 4A which is integral with, but which could be secured to, the leading end of the strip 9. As can be seen in FIGURE 10, the pin 4A projects downwardly from the general plane of the remainder of the strip 9.

Resilient members in the form of arms 19 that are integral with the pin 4A, and strip 9 project rearwardly, in shallow V-shaped relationship, from opposite sides of pin 4A, their free and rearmost ends abutting against the leading side of the axle 5 at two points which are spaced towards the wheels 6 from opposite sides of the pins 4 and 4A. Once again, the arms 19 tend to maintain the axle 5 substantially perpendicular to the length of the chassis or base 2 but the axle can be angularly displaced about a substantially vertical axis located between the pins 4 and 4A by exerting a manual force upon the toy car in a lateral direction corresponding to the direction in which it is desired that the toy should steer. The axle 5 will turn into, or will approach, one or the other of the extreme positions illustrated in FIGURE 11 with respect to one of the wheels 6, such positions being denoted by the reference numerals 6A and 63 respectively. One or the other of the arms 19 will be resiliently deflected forwardly by the axle 5 at this time but, when the desired curved path has been negotiated by the toy car, the withdrawal of the lateral pressure will allow the steering t0 self-center as the resiliently deflected arm 19 automatically regains the undeflected setting, or position of minimum deflection, that can be seen best in FIGURE 11 of the drawings.

It will be appreciated that the strip 9 provides a resilient suspension for the front axle 5, there being sufficient clearance between the pin 4 and the margins of the hole 18 to allow the leading end of the strip 9 to move up and down freely relative to the pin 4, the pin 4A moving with the strip 9.

The invention is not limited to toy cars of the scale described towards the beginning of this specification and toy vehicles of larger scale may be formed in accordane with the invention. Moreover, obviously, the invention is applicable to wheeled toy vehicles other than toy cars or automobiles such as, for example, toy lorries or trucks, trailers and the like, and it is not essential that the bodies and chassis or bases of such toys should be formed from die cast metal. Other materials such as synthetic plastic materials may be employed for this purpose. The resilient strip-shaped member 9 and the resilient arms 11 and 16 have been described as being formed from a synthetic plastic material such as G.P. polystyrene, but, once again, this is not essential and other resilient materials such as spring steel strip may be employed for this purpose. In the case of a resiliently suspended front axle 5, the opposite rear end of the strip 9 may be employed to resiliently suspend at least one non-steerable rear axle (see FIGURE It will be appreciated that the toy vehicles that have been described by way of example do not have accurate steering mechanisms such as those of the Ackermann type but that this is not, generally speaking, of importance to young children. The loss in accuracy of the scaleddown self-centering steering mechanism is compensated for by the fact that said mechanism is of a simple but effective construction which does not add greatly to the cost of the toy.

What is claimed is:

1. A toy vehicle comprising a chassis member, a steerable transverse axle resting on said chassis member, an upstanding pin on said chassis member, and a resilient member loosely fitted on said pin and including a depending pin thereon spaced in front of the first said pin in the longitudinal direction of the chassis member adjacent said axle, said axle passing between said pins to be retained thereby and be angularly displaceable about an axis normal to said chassis member'between said pins, said resilient member including arms extending rearwardly and laterally from said depending pin and engaging said axle at locations laterally spaced from said axis to maintain said axle perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the chassis member, said arms being resiliently defiectable upon the application of manual pressure to said axle to allow the axle to be angularly displaced about said axis and thereby enable the vehicle to follow a non-straight path.

2. A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 1 comprising ground wheels on said axle, said chassis member being provided with slots through which the axle passes externally of the chassis member, said slots having bounding edges which limit the extent of the angular displacement of said axle, said chassis member including curved guides engaging said wheels to hold the axle in transverse position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,063,194 11/1962 Berguerand 46201 3,205,616 9/1965 Nisperly 46201 3,280,500 10/ 1966 Fairbairn 46201 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,256,008 2/1961 France. 1,269,304 7/1961 France.

971,783 10/1964 Great Britain.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner JAMES A. OLIFF, Assistant Examiner 

